


Milo's Dummy Thicc Heart

by Sarcastic_Metaphor



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, basically i love Milo and I want to ship him with everyone so I will, i took this really seriously for some reason, just guys being (gay) dudes, ok lets get the shit show started, takes place a year before the start of the games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:48:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21579412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarcastic_Metaphor/pseuds/Sarcastic_Metaphor
Summary: A series of one shots demonstrating all the ways that Milo is compatible with the other male characters in SwSh. They're supposed to follow the same loose overarching story, but can be read separately.
Relationships: Milo/Kabu, Milo/Leon, Milo/Raihan
Comments: 39
Kudos: 272





	1. Raihan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love feedback on my stories, however, the title stays.
> 
> Please enjoy reading!

The Gym League was a ton of fun, but Milo knew a lot of prep was to be done before the next season hit. His precious Eldegoss got way too strong from all of last year’s fights, so he needed to raise a new Gossifleur. (Early gyms like his always tended to have high Pokemon turnover rates.) But poor Eldie, she was going to be retired even sooner than Milo expected. 

“It’s gonna be alright, Eldie! You’ll still help in the fields and at home. Everyone in town will still see you!”

But his Eldegoss was having none of it. She was still buried in Milo’s arms, lamenting the end of her career. Milo patted her on top of her cottony head, carrying her out of the stadium and on the way home. 

“Hm, how about this, then? Rose is going to have a meeting with all the Gym Leaders tomorrow. How ‘bout I bring you along? You can say goodbye to Nessa and the others.”

Eldie looked up, a budding (pun intended) smile on her face. She cheered, her cotton blossom finally starting to poof back up. Milo smiled. 

“Now that’s the spirit!” 

He laughed, tossing Eldie up into the air and catching her. Her leaves flared as Milo’s little Eldie finally laughed. And Milo made a mental note to call Nessa later. Eldie had always been fond of her Drednaw.

* * *

These sorts of meetings always took place in Motostoke, and Kabu was usually the first to arrive before anyone else. Raihan gave the old man a quick nod before taking his seat next to Rose. Leon sat at the Chairman’s other side. 

While Rose and Leon were making friendly conversation, the rest of the Leaders came filtering in. First Opal, followed closely by Bea and Allister. Nessa and Milo came next, laughing about something as they took their seats across from Raihan. The rest of the circular meeting table filled in and the first of the off-season meetings between the Leaders started. 

Despite being a Gym Leader for a number of years, Raihan was never one for the little details and all the meticulous planning that had to go into the League. He lived for the thrill of battling itself, not for a stuffy meeting full of restriction revisions.

After a while, he found his attention drifting from Rose’s lengthy review of viewer feedback to his fellow Leaders. Some were paying attention (Kabu and Opal, mainly), but very few of them were the types that could sit still for long. Raihan noticed Nessa starting to twirl a lock of hair around her finger while Milo started fiddling with the handkerchief around his neck.

And good Arceus, what was that farm boy eating? His biceps and chest looked like they got even bigger from last year. Raihan definitely needed to ask Milo about his training regimen. 

Eventually, Rose began to notice that a good few of his Leaders were starting to get antsy. That, and it was close to lunch time. 

“Ah, let’s continue this after a good meal, yes? I for one will be trying the new Alolan restaurant in town, if anyone would like to join me.”

Rose chuckled to himself as he and Oleana began packing up their paperwork. A few others, including Leon, got up and followed the chairman out of the room. Raihan got up and stretched his arms over his head. He caught Milo saying a few words to Nessa.

“-if you want to eat together.”   
  
“Only if you’re paying, Milo.”

The two of them laughed and exited the meeting area. Raihan quirked a brow and followed suit.

* * *

The quickest way to get a meal was just by visiting the food court, but Milo never minded cheap stadium food. It reminded him of when he was little and his parents would splurge a for a day, taking the whole family out to see a Pokemon battle. Plus, he and Nessa could take their trays out into the arena and let their Pokemon loose. 

Eldie twirled her leaves with delight at the sight of Nessa’s current battling Drednaw, Jaws. Milo smiled as the two of them chased each other around the arena. 

“So your Pokemon’s retiring too, huh?” Nessa asked. 

Milo glanced over at her and nodded. “Yeah, poor Eldie. She only got to battle for a year.”

Now, Eldie was probably strong enough to wipe out a new trainer’s full team.

Nessa whistled. “If she’s already that strong, I bet she’ll make a great opponent for my new team.”

Milo laughed. “You can’t ever stop thinking about battling, can you?”   
  
Nessa took a sip of her smoothie and jokingly punched Milo on his arm. “Never. Besides, Jaws is too strong for new trainers now, too. He’s going to want company with someone more his speed.”

The two of them ate the rest of their lunch in comfortable silence. Jaws and Eldie eventually got tired of playing and came over to join them. Eldie sat in Milo’s lap, but Jaws had his gaze fixed on Milo too. 

“Huh? You want something?” Milo asked. 

He held his hand out for Jaws to press his snout into. Ordinarily, he’d never go touching someone else’s Pokemon, and certainly not a Drednaw, but Nessa was there if anything went wrong.

Jaws let out a pleased rumbled, pressing more firmly into Milo’s touch. 

“I think he’s going to miss you, farm boy. You’re the only one who can still play with him the way he likes.”

Milo’s eyes widened. “Oh, why didn’t you say so!”

Eldie hopped off his lap as Milo got to his feet. He dusted off his shorts and rolled his shoulders. He squatted until he was at eye level with the Drednaw and patted his shoulder.    
  
“Come ‘ere, Jaws!”

The Drednaw chortled with delight and reared back. Milo wrapped his arms around the Pokemon’s middle and braced himself. He dug his boots into the stone floor and heaved until Jaws was no longer touching the ground. He laughed as the Drednaw chortled again, resting it’s massive head on his shoulder. 

Unfortunately, with most of his vision and hearing obscured by a very happy Drednaw, Milo failed to see the arena’s newest arrival. 

* * *

Alright, Raihan knew that Milo was strong. Strong enough to be a Gym Leader, even if he was the first one out of them all. But nothing could have prepared him for seeing Milo cradling a Drednaw in his arms like it weighed nothing at all. 

“Uh…” He said, words dying on his tongue. 

Nessa looked over her shoulder, spotting him. She got up and waved him over. 

“Hey, Raihan. How have you been?” She asked, as if her friend wasn’t still lifting her Pokemon off the ground. 

This close up, Raihan could see the muscles rippling under Milo’s jersey, his arms bulging. 

“I uh, finished lunch early and heard that you two were over here.”

He gestured towards Milo, who was now bouncing the Drednaw in his arms like a baby. 

“Does he do this often?”

Nessa snorted. “Not often enough for my Drednaw’s taste.”

But her gaze softened a bit, a rare sight for the ambitious Gym Leader. “Truth be told, Jaws has always been a little bit of a softie. I think he misses when he could be picked up like a Chewtle. And, you know, Milo’s the only one around who can still do that.”

Raihan did  _ not _ know that, actually. 

Again, what in Arceus’ name did this boy eat?

He watched as Milo eventually set down Nessa’s Pokemon, although the Drednaw still tried to paw at him for another round. Milo adjusted his hat, looking up and spotting Raihan. His eyes lit up and he smiled. 

“Hiya, Raihan!”

He ignored the way that Jaws was now pressing its snout into his palm, and Raihan had never before seen a Drednaw that behaved so much like a Yamper before. 

“I saw your match against Leon last month, you got closer than ever to beating him!” Milo said. 

And what a smile. Raihan only ever got the serious types of trainers, the ones determined to win. He could only imagine how welcoming Milo’s smile was for newbie trainers. 

“That was pretty impressive, what you just did. I never got to ask you before, but what’s your training routine like?” He asked. 

Milo blinked in surprise, tugging up his scarf to dab at the sweat on his face. Although, it looked more like he was trying to hide his face. He glanced to the side, to Nessa, but then returned his gaze to Raihan.

“Oh, well, hay bales are actually a lot heavier than they look. Wooloo too, when you’ve got to move lots of ‘em.”

Raihan whistled. “So you got that strong just from your lifestyle, then? Pretty impressive, Milo.”   
  
Milo laughed, his cheeks reddening just a bit. Nessa laughed too and put a hand on her hip. “He also eats plenty of his veggies. Believe me.”

Raihan smiled. Training his Pokemon, running his gym, and challenging Leon took up most of his time. But it was nice to get back in touch with his other fellow Leaders. 

(And was it weird that he was admiring Milo so much? Sure, he was big and it was no secret that Milo was physically strong, but still. Raihan underestimated his sheer strength.)

_Also,_ was it weird that his eye kept drifting towards Milo’s biceps? He must be lifting more hay bales than usual, if his arms were that thicc. And don’t even get him started on Farmer Market’s chest, because those jugs could probably hold gallons.

“The hour’s almost up. We ought to get back to the meeting room soon,” Milo eventually said. 

Raihan snapped himself out of his stupor, hoping the others didn’t notice his attention drifting elsewhere.

Milo turned to his Eldegoss, who was resting on top of Nessa’s Drednaw.    


“Time to say bye, Eldie.”

The Eldegoss hopped off of Jaws, giving the larger Pokemon one last twirl of it’s leaves before being returned to Milo’s pokeball. Nessa did the same to her Pokemon, but not before it gave Milo one last parting headbutt to the thigh. (And no surprise, Milo hardly flinched from the impact.)

“Let’s get going,” Raihan said. 

The other two Leaders fell in step next to him, and he couldn’t help but notice that he was wrong about something. Milo’s hair wasn’t red. It was a lot closer to pink, actually. 

Cute.

* * *

The meeting dragged on for nearly an hour longer than expected, and Milo savored the fresh breeze that hit his face when they were finally free to go.

Nessa came up besides him and took the lift down to central Motostoke with him. 

“So…” She started, Milo already knowing exactly where she was going with this. “Raihan was pretty impressed by you.”

“He wasn’t, though. Was just being nice, probably.” Milo said even as he tugged the brim of his hat lower over his face. 

Nessa elbowed his side. “He was  _ so _ into you. If you bothered trying to make eye contact with him, you’d notice he was definitely checking you out.”   
  
“Ness, Raihan is completely out of my league.”

Ironic, given their shared profession. But Raihan was the top trainer in the region, besides Leon. Milo loved a good battle too, but he was a big softie and all of Galar knew it. They were just so different; Raihan  _ lived _ to go all out. Milo had a hard time not going easy on Nessa, knowing the type disadvantage she had against him. Raihan loved cities and loud parties and boasting for his fans. Given the choice, Milo would prefer to spend his day off in an oversized sweater, taking naps in the field with the Wooloos.

“Look, Milo. Some day you’ll meet a guy who’s exactly your type  _ and _ is also into you, and what will you do then? Pretend he wasn’t ogling your chest?”   


Probably. Not that he’d tell Ness. 

They turned the corner, coming upon the train station. He sighed. “I ought to get back home. My mum’s expecting me to help make dinner now that I’m not busy with gym battles.”

Ness rolled her eyes. “A Gym Leader, a big, buff softie, and a cook to boot. Someday, you’ll realize what a catch you are.”   
  
“Is that supposed to be a water pun?”

Nessa punched his shoulder again. “Maybe, farm boy. I have some shopping I want to do for now, but we’ll talk later, right?”   
  
And Milo couldn’t help but smile a little. “Yeah. Definitely.”


	2. Leon

Leon seldom got tired of battling, but he was looking forward to having a little more time to himself. Now that the challenge season was officially over, he was looking forward to going back home, eating Mum’s home-cooked meals, and seeing Hop again. He just couldn’t wait. 

So he was surprised when, the morning after he returned home, Sonia texted him. 

**_Sonia:_ ** _ I’m meeting up with Nessa today, want to come? _   


He hesitated for a moment before replying. 

**_Leon:_ ** _ I’m still pretty tired, I think I might sit this one out _

**_Sonia:_** _Well that’s no fun. We were going to go to Turffield today and see Milo_

**_Leon:_ ** _ Any occasion? _

It wasn’t Milo’s birthday or something like that, right? Leon could be just as bad with dates as he was with directions. 

**_Sonia:_ ** _ It’s the annual Market Fair! There’s going to be tons of food! Come on, Leon, just go with us for a little while _

Oh shit. Leon’s eyes widened. 

The Market Fair was Turffield’s biggest event, besides the Gym challenge. He remembered when Mum would take him and Hop when they were little. He could still remember the sight of hundreds of flowers on display and the scent of fresh flowers and bread in the air.

He bit his lip. 

**_Leon:_ ** _ Alright, just for a little while  _

**_Sonia:_ ** _ That’s the spirit! Meet me at the train station in half an hour _

Leon went about his room, throwing on whatever clean clothes he could find. It was a little warm today, but he put on a black cap and a loose, red hoodie. He grabbed the sunglasses off his desk as well. Leon loved his fans, but he’d rather not get recognized today. 

“Hop!” He called out, emerging from his room. “Hop! I’m going to the Market Fair in Turffield with Sonia. Want to come?”

He could hear a loud thud coming from Hop’s room, followed by his little brother sticking his head out the door. He was still in his pajamas.    
  
“Yeah! Just give me a minute!”   


Leon smiled, hearing Hop running around his room before going downstairs. Maybe this would just be a nice, easy day to himself. 

* * *

**_Nessa:_ ** _ So? What’d he say? _

Sonia smiled to herself. 

**_Sonia:_ ** _ He said he’s coming! _

**_Nessa:_** _Perfect_

Sonia wasn’t one for causing drama, but she just couldn’t resist it when it involved Leon. Nessa let Sonia in on her plans last night, and she was immediately on board. 

**_Nessa:_ ** _ Now let’s just hope he has even half a brain cell more than Raihan _

**_Sonia:_ ** _ Oh, Ness. You know that’s not possible _

**_Nessa:_ ** _ Shush, babe. I’m trying to stay optimistic  _

Sonia laughed softly to herself. Her girlfriend was certainly not one to ever give up, to say the least 

**_Sonia:_ ** _ I’ll see you in Turffield later then <3 _

Nessa replied with a kissy face emoji. 

Sonia smiled. Now, all that was left was to be patient.

* * *

As soon as their train arrived in Turffield, Hop immediately took off. 

“Hey!” Leon called after him. 

“Sorry, Leon! But I’m not letting you slow me down today!” He called back, making a beeline for a row of stalls brimming with baked treats. 

Leon sighed. At least Hop was going to have fun. 

“So, uh… where do we go from here?” He asked. 

Being champion, Leon hadn’t been to the Fair in years. It was a lot bigger than he remembered. Stalls lined the main roads, and he could hear music coming from somewhere.

He looked to Nessa and Sonia, hoping they already knew the way to… wherever they were going. But Nessa lowered her designer sunglasses, taking in the scenery just as much as Leon. 

“You youngsters lost?” A voice asked. 

They all turned, finding Opal strolling up to them. She made no attempt to hide her appearance, wearing a pale blue dress and a lilac shawl around her shoulders. She was carrying a wicker basket at her side, along with her famous umbrella.

Opal smiled at Leon. “Now, you’re just the sort of strong, young man I’ve been looking for.”   
  
_ “Huh-?” _   


Opal slapped the basket into his arms. “Do an old woman a favor, Leon, and carry this for me.”   


The basket was a little heavier than Leon expected. He looked from it to his friends, then back to Opal. 

“Uh, Opal? What are you doing here? How did you know it was us?”

She chuckled. “Oh, sweetie, you won’t fool anyone like that.”

She tapped the tip of her umbrella against Leon’s leg. “Designer athletic pants, a hoodie with the League logo on it. And Nessa, dear, I can see locks of blue hair peeking out from under that hood of yours.”

Opal laughed. “I’ve played this game a lot longer than you two have, and it’s best to just accept that you’re never getting your privacy back.”

Leon felt his face flush, just a little bit. 

Opal continued, either oblivious to their surprise or she just didn’t care. “Anyways, I only need you to carry this basket to Milo for me, then you’re free to go.”

“Oh! We’re actually looking for him, do you know where he is?”

Opal nodded, gesturing for them to follow her. “I’ve been coming to the Fair for years, long before Milo even became Gym Leader. His family usually sets up in the same area.”

Opal guided them down the busy streets of Turffield, where the scent of roasting meat, baked bread, and the aroma of flowers tempted them at every turn. Children ran past the four of them holding sparklers or wands with little streamers. Opal didn’t seem interested in most of the food or wares being sold, making a beeline for the town square. 

Leon’s eyes widened, taking in the sight. Tables were set up in large squares, some of which even had tents covering them. A live band was playing. People were sitting around the fountain in the center of the square, eating various treats. And wow, did it make Leon’s stomach growl. 

“Hey!” Someone called out. 

Leon glanced to his left. To the far side of the center was a familiar redhead. Milo smiled as they walked across the square to him.

“Hey there, farm boy.” Nessa said. 

“You guys didn’t tell me that you were coming!” Milo said. 

Leon drank in the sight of tables laden with crates of various vegetables and baskets of berries. Other baskets held loaves of baked bread or bunches of flowers, and there were displays of pies, cupcakes, jars of jam and honey spread over the checkerboard tablecloths. A Tsareena moved from table to table, carefully organizing the displays.

Milo himself was wearing denim overalls over a faded, pink shirt. With his smile and his trademark handkerchief around his neck, he excluded an overwhelming friendly aura. 

“Ahem, young man. Have you forgotten our yearly barter?” Opal asked. 

Milo’s smile changed a bit, his eyes gleaming with something a little more mischievous. “Never.”

He reached under the table, pulling out a pie tin covered with aluminum foil and a small package wrapped in brown paper. “And you?”

Opal smirked, reaching for her basket and pulling out a black, velvet bag. 

“Only the best for my business partner.” She said.

Leon watched, rather speechless, as Opal and Milo quickly exchanged goods before anyone around them could see. 

“Um,” Nessa said, “Do we want to know?”

Milo quickly glanced around, then untied the drawstring of the bag. “It’s so hard to get these, the Ballonean foragers always charge way too much when they come to the Fair.”

Inside the bag was a small jar filled to the brim with glowing pink mushrooms. 

“Aren’t these all over Ballonea, though?” Leon asked. 

Apparently this was the wrong question to ask. Both Opal and Milo gasped. Even the Tsareena paused. And Leon was immediately subjected to a lecture in which -yes- there was indeed a difference between plain pink mushrooms and the more vibrant fuschia ones. That they helped make excellent tea and dye and how well they could improve soil quality for flowers.

At some point, Leon noticed that Nessa and Sonia had slipped away, and he couldn’t blame them. 

“But of course, even a fair amount of these beauties is worth anything made by Milo,” Opal concluded. 

Milo’s face flushed pink and he tugged up his scarf. 

Opal continued, “Oh, you ought to be proud, my dear! Your wool shawls are utterly superb, and your pies are to die for!”

“Pie, huh?” Leon asked, stomach growling. His eyes skimmed the various baked goods set out on the table. “Then how much for a slice?”   
  
“Oh, well, I don’t mind giving one to a friend for-”

Opal cleared her throat as she took her basket back from Leon. “We’ve discussed this, Milo. No undercharging, not even for friends.”

As Opal took her leave, goods in tow, Leon pulled out his wallet. He didn’t have any intention of trying to haggle with Milo anyways. 

So Leon received his slice of pecha berry pie on a paper plate. He took his first bite, his eyes widening. He wasn’t sure how it happened, but the next thing he knew, his plate was empty. He quickly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Milo! This was amazing! Did you make these yourself?”

Milo laughed softly. “Yeah, well, I helped. I’m glad you liked it.”   
  
Leon couldn’t resist it. He had to have a pie to bring home for Mum and Hop. Maybe cupcakes, too. Milo tried again to lower the price, but Leon absolutely refused. Also, he was pretty sure that Nessa or Opal would kill him if they found out that he accepted Milo’s offer. 

Then it dawned on Leon that Milo was working alone.

“So, is it just you here?”

Milo shook his head as he made change for a woman buying bread. “Well, my dad’s sick at home and my mum’s taking care of him. My siblings came with me, but they all sort of wandered off.”   
  
He laughed to himself. “It is what it is, though. I can either watch the stall or I can watch them. At least I have my Tsareena to keep me company.”

The Pokemon in question raised her head, proudly standing besides the new bunches of flowers she had restocked the table with. But Leon still felt a little bad for his friend.

“I don’t mind keeping you company, then.” He said.

Milo paused what he was doing and looked up to meet Leon’s gaze. “Oh, you really don’t have to. You should go enjoy the Fair.”

Leon smiled, stuffing his hands in his hoodie pocket and leaning against one of the tent posts. “It’s fine, mate. I’d feel bad leaving you all alone.”   
  
Milo fiddled with one of the ends of his scarf. He chuckled. “I-if you say so. I guess I can’t stop you, anyways.”

Leon’s smile grew a little wider. It was actually nice spending time with Milo. Leon also bought a bouquet of flowers for Mum, and a bag of handmade candies for Hop.

“So you’re family really made everything on these tables?” He asked.

“Yup! The honey and jam are made by my sisters, the pies and sweets by my parents and me, and I raised all the flowers myself!” 

Leon whistled. Busy family, they were. 

People continued to drift in and out of Milo’s tent, and Leon tried not to bother Milo while he was talking to others. Still, there was something charming about watching Milo work. He knew the names of half the people he talked to, probably other Turffield residents. And it was easy for him to strike up conversation with those he didn’t know. A few of them didn’t even recognize Milo without his Gym uniform on.

And maybe Leon was a little jealous. Wherever he went, he was seen. Of course, he still loved all his fans and wouldn’t dream of trying to be rude to them. But he missed being able to go from place to place without being mobbed by fans. Especially in his off time, like now. 

Maybe it was because he hadn’t ventured out into other parts of the Fair yet, but he was lucky no one other than Opal recognized him. Today, he was just a guy visiting his friend. And it was nice. 

Eventually, two girls with red hair a little darker than Milo’s walked into the tent, arms laden with paper shopping bags. 

“Holly! Clover! Where have you been?” Milo asked. 

“Sorry, Milo, we got distracted,” One of them said. They squeezed in between the tables and set their bags on the ground. They seemed a few years older than Hop, maybe early teens. One wore her hair short and the other long, but they looked identical otherwise. The one with long hair noticed Leon in the corner of the tent.    
  
“Who’s that?” She asked. 

Leon internally braced himself. 

“Oh, he’s just a friend of mine.” Milo said. His gaze was focused on the opening of the tent, like he was expecting someone else to walk in. 

“You were all gone for more than two hours,” Milo said, arms crossed over his chest. “Where are Rosie and Basil?”

The girl with short hair said, “Don’ know. They met this kid while bobbing for berries and ran off with him.”

Milo blinked. “And you just _ let them?” _

Leon raised a brow. He’d never seen Milo experience something even close to anger before. As it was, he didn’t necessarily look mad, just tired. But it was certainly the form of exhaustion that came with being the oldest sibling. 

The one with short hair rolled her eyes. “You worry too much. They’ll be fine.”

Milo bit his lower lip and exhaled sharply through his nose. “I’m going to go look for them. You two are staying here, though.”   
  
“Milo-”

He gave them That Look. The perfected, tired-but-irritated, eyebrows-raised, tight-lipped look that just screamed “I’m not mad yet but I’m about to be”. Leon knew it well. 

Milo squeezed himself out of the tables and glanced back at them. “Tsareena, make sure Clover and Holly stay put.”   
  
The Pokemon nodded, much to the chagrin of Milo’s apparently younger sisters. Leon followed Milo out of the tent, a warm breeze hitting his face. The two of them fell into step, wandering the busy streets. 

“So, siblings, huh?” Leon asked, “You have four of ‘em?”   
  
“Yup, there’s the youngest, Rosie, and then Basil. Holly and Clover back there are twins, and I’m the oldest.”

Leon whistled. Hop was already a handful, he couldn’t imagine having three more of him. 

“How do you manage them all?”   
  
Milo laughed. “Oh, trust me, I don’t.”

He left it at that, but honestly? Mood.

The two of them carried down the street, Milo calling his little sibling’s names along the way. Leon also realized that he hadn’t seen Hop in a while, and started calling for his own little brother as well. They went down streets, turned back at dead ends, and forced their way through crowds without finding their siblings. Leon also noticed that the longer they searched, the louder Milo called and the faster he started walking. 

They eventually reached a smaller town square, this one full of stalls with face-painting booths, sparklers for sale, and tables laden with candy. At the far end were two kids sitting by the wood fence separating the street from the rolling hills behind it. Leon immediately recognized Hop’s jacket.

“Basil!” Milo said, and he took off sprinting. 

Leon ran to catch up, coming to a stop next to Hop. 

“Basil, where’s Rosie?” Milo asked. 

The two boys, and they actually looked around the same age, shared a glance. Milo’s brother, Basil, moved aside. A little girl, maybe five or six years old, was sitting on the curb. She was crying, and both of her knees were scraped.

“Oh, Rosie. What happened?” Milo said, voice much softer than before. He knelt down and she instantly started reaching for him. Milo picked her up and held her to his chest.

“Good thing I brought the first aid kit. Come on, Basil. Let’s get going.”

For as much grief as his siblings seemed to give him, Milo was truly the doting type of big brother. Leon and Hop watched as Milo sat his little sister on one of the chairs at his tent, cleaning her knees and pressing bandaids to them. It reminded Leon a little bit of patching up Hop’s scraped knees or palms when they were younger. Milo also let Rosie have candy until she was smiling again and tucked flowers into her hair.

(Was it weird that Leon couldn’t decide who was actually cuter? Here was this sweet, little girl with pink braids woven with daisies, but her older brother? Oh, there was certainly something endearing in seeing Milo with big, soft eyes and a sweet, mellow voice.

Again, was it weird that he thought that? Was Leon being weird?)   


Maybe he should leave and go find Sonia and Nessa. Besides, it was getting a little late in the afternoon anyways. Milo probably had enough of his company.

“Hey, Leon?”   
  
He paused in the middle of his train of thought. Milo had taken off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. His hair still fell in messy locks around his face. 

“Thanks for today.” He said. 

Leon raised a brow. “I didn’t do anything, though.”   
  
Milo shrugged. “You kept me company, didn’t you? And you helped me find my sister.”

He reached under one of the tables and pulled out a small, paper bag. “Here, why don’t you take these too? They’re chocolate pretzels my family makes.”   
  
Leon stared. He looked from the paper bag to Milo. To Milo’s bright green, sincere eyes. Almost without even thinking, Leon held his hand out.    
  
Milo smiled. 

“The Fair’s still going to continue tomorrow. Stop by if you want.”   
  
Leon tucked the small bag into the larger one he’d been carrying. “Thanks, Milo.”   


He and Hop left, but once they were a good few meters away from the tent, Hop looked up and asked, “What was all that about?”   
  
“Huh? What do you mean?”   
  
Hop gestured over his shoulder. “You know, you and Milo?”   
  
Leon raised an eyebrow. “What? We’re friends.”   
  
Hop gave Leon his own incredulous look in return. “You sure about that? You were making some serious googly eyes at Milo.”

Leon felt his face grow warm, but ignored it. “I was not! He was just being nice!”   
  
His little brother snickered and nudged him. “Whatever you say, Leon.”

* * *

After the Fair ended and they (mostly Milo) packed everything away, Milo and his siblings returned home. His feet were aching from standing all day long, and he enjoyed the long, hot shower he got to take. Milo fell on top of his bed, just about ready to take a nap before dinner when his phone rang. It was Nessa.   
  
“Hello?”   
  
_ “Hey, farm boy. How’d it go today?” _

A small smile spread across his face. “Really good! We actually sold more than I was expecting. Usually, it’s the second day of the Fair that-”   
  
Nessa laughed,  _ “No, I mean with Leon.” _   
  
“Huh?"   


“He stuck around, right? Did you two have a good time together?”   
  
Milo furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?”   
  
Nessa laughed again. 

_ “Ness? _ Ness, what did you do?” Milo asked.   


_ “Nothing! I just invited Sonia to the Fair, who invited Leon. And then maybe Sonia and I snuck off so you could have a chance with the Champion~” _

Milo could practically hear the way she was raising her eyebrows at him. 

He groaned. “Nessa! Why?”

_ “To finally get you a man. Since Raihan was a bust, I thought maybe you’d have better luck with Leon. Besides, you’re single and lonely and I know for a fact that you want a boyfriend.” _

Milo blinked. “Yeah, well... you didn’t have to say it like that.”   
  
Nessa snorted. _ “What? Did things not work out with Leon? After Raihan, I thought he’d be the perfect guy! Confident, nice, a good trainer-” _

“That’s not the point! I’m not going to try to date Leon, Ness. He’s out of my league, too.” Milo sighed, running a hand over his face. “Maybe, and just maybe Nessa, I could pick out a date for myself?”

_ “Oh? If you’ve already got someone in mind, I’d love to know.” _

Milo hesitated. 

There wasn’t actually a particular person he thought of when he imagined himself dating. It’d certainly be nice to have someone to make breakfast for. And to go on long walks by the creek with. Maybe someone who liked battling, too. And while Milo had never been very picky about appearances, having a partner who could make him laugh would definitely be nice.

_ “Milo?” _ Nessa asked, voice a little softer than before.   
  
He sighed. “I guess there’s not really anyone I’m interested in. Anyone who’d want me would do, you know?”   
  
Nessa was silent for a moment, making Milo wonder what she was thinking. 

_ “Then you’re awfully lucky I’m your friend, farm boy. Until you get a date, I’m your wingwoman. And you should be thankful too, because I only accept the best, and I always get what I want.” _

Milo laughed. “Wow, I wouldn’t have expected such generosity from my  _ rival  _ of all people.”

Nessa huffed, and he could practically hear her pouting. _ “Yeah, well, you can’t battle me at your best if your mind’s clouded over by your big, sappy heart.” _

He smiled. They were close enough that he knew about Nessa’s own big heart under her ultra-competitive nature. 

“Thanks, Ness. I’ll talk later, alright?”   
_   
_ _ “Of course, Milo.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters have already been posted on my tumblr, btw! Talk to me @ sarcastic-metaphor if you'd like.


	3. Kabu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little shorter than the others. I don't really ship milo/kabu, but I like the possible dynamics between them

There was a sort of unspoken deal between Kabu, Nessa, and Milo. They all had their individual means of training, but each of them were strong against another and they were all located in relatively close proximity. So when one of them wanted a good, tough match, they went to trainer who they were weak to.

Kabu went to Nessa. Nessa went to Milo. And Milo went to Kabu. 

And Kabu welcomed the sight of his fellow Gym Leader late one morning.

“Hello, Milo. How can I help you?” He asked, although he already got the sense of why the other was here.

Despite being in more casual wear, Milo was wearing his belt with his pokeballs, and his trainer’s glove.

“Do you have time for a battle?” Milo asked.

Kabu smiled. “Of course.”

Truth be told, Milo might not have had the best track record as a trainer, but there was this irresistible sense of sheer  _ fun _ that came with battling him. (It made Kabu feel younger, admittedly. But he’d never say it aloud.)

They stood across from each other in Kabu’s stadium, the stands empty. It was a strange sensation, but also a relief to not have so many eyes on him at once. 

“What have you got for me this time, Milo?” Kabu asked. 

Milo smile turned into something a little more confident. He tossed a pokeball into the air and caught it. 

“You’ll have to see for yourself!”   


So it began. 

Kabu was expecting Milo’s personal team, not the one that he used to battle new trainers with during challenge season. And he was correct. Right out the gate was a Leafon. Kabu sent out his trusted Arcanine in return. 

The thing that Kabu admired most about Milo’s fighting style was his preference for endurance-based matches. Grass types usually had all sorts of tricks up their sleeves to regain health or heal themselves. Even with a type advantage, Kabu wouldn’t lower his guard against his opponent.

And he was right to do so. Halfway through the match, his entire team got walled by Milo’s Ludicolo. It’s Rain Dance soaked through Kabu’s towel and shirt, but more importantly, he was willing to bet it also knew Hydro Pump. 

Meanwhile, Milo was still smiling at him from the other side of the arena, waiting to see what he’d do. 

Kabu smirked. He might not be as young as he used to, but he wasn’t going to give up. He sent out his Centiskorch, the only member of his team who could realistically attack the Ludicolo. The heat that came off it’s firey body warmed Kabu down to his bones.

He had to shout over the falling rain to be heard, ordering his Centiskorch to attack. He didn’t miss how Milo’s smile grew wider. 

Of course the Ludicolo knew Protect. Milo could be a clever boy when he wanted to be. 

Eventually, with the sheer luck of finally landing a solid hit, the Ludicolo was knocked out. Kabu managed to beat Milo with just one Pokemon left, but with how close it was, he was willing to call the battle a draw. 

“Whew!” Milo said, “That was a great match, Kabu!”

He was soaked too, shaking the excess water from his hat.

“I could say the same to you.” Kabu said. He instinctively reached for the towel around his neck, but found it completely soaked.

“Ah, I knew things would get messy with that Rain Dance.” Milo said with a laugh. He pulled a clean, mostly dry handkerchief and offered it to Kabu. He gladly accepted it, wiping the rainwater from his face and neck. 

“So, have you…” Kabu looked up, and his words died off.

Milo’s white shirt was soaked through, the fabric already leaving little to the imagination. However, Milo had tugged the hem up and was using it to wipe his face, leaving his whole abdomen exposed.

“What was that?” Milo asked, looking up. 

Kabu cleared his throat and averted his eyes. “Nothing, nothing.”

Milo was certainly a… a  _ fit _ young man. He lacked the lean and slim figure someone like Bea had, but there was no mistaking the muscles that rippled beneath his soft skin. 

Oh, but how crude of him to be staring at a fellow Gym Leader like this. 

Kabu pointedly refused to stare as Milo dropped his shirt and placed his hat back on his head. He also certainly hadn’t become very aware of Milo’s ample biceps as he returned the other’s handkerchief. 

Milo smiled as he took it back, “So, can I treat you to lunch?”

“Huh?”   
  
“Well, that’s usually how it goes with Nessa. Loser buys lunch!” Milo said. 

“Oh, I’d hardly call this a succinct vic-”

“Don’t worry about it,” Milo said. He threw an arm over Kabu’s shoulders, a little awkward given that Kabu was taller, and started heading out of the arena. “We don’t have to go into town if you don’t want, but I was already planning on getting something to eat while I was here.”

Kabu managed to slip from Milo’s grasp, coughing into his fist. So much vigor, but then again all young people were like that, weren’t they?   
  
“I suppose it would be rude to refuse.” He said. “There’s a rather nice restaurant nearby, and they don’t mind seating messy Gym Leaders like us.”

He chuckled as Milo grinned even wider than before, eyes very nearly sparkling in the sunlight. 

“Then lead the way!”

* * *

Kabu had underestimated Milo’s voracity. He had eaten two salads (one of which being Kabu’s, which he allowed Milo to take) and two full sandwiches until he was sated. And he ate it all in the time it took for Kabu to finish his own meal.

“Hungry?” Kabu asked, a faint grin on his lip. 

Milo laughed softly. “ ‘m just a big eater.”

“I can imagine so. You work on your family’s farm even during the Gym season, right?”   
  
“Yup! All year long, I’ve always got something to do.”

Kabu nodded. He respected someone who could handle a fair amount of responsibility.

Actually, there was a lot to admire in Milo, besides his… physical assets. He was very much Kabu’s opposite. Very carefree at times, often treating his battles with less seriousness than he likely should. 

But he was never one to shy away from digging his heels into the dirt and holding his ground when he needed to. It did not slip Kabu’s notice that Milo was also a highly loyal young man. Loyal to his Pokemon, loyal to his friends, and loyal to his family’s work. Milo might seem carefree, but nothing could shake the faith he had in others. 

“Are you alright?” Milo asked as he waved a waitress over for the bill.

Kabu cleared his throat. “Just lost in thought, I suppose.”

Yes, Milo was very much his opposite. But there was still much Kabu could learn from him. 


	4. Raihan Part 2: Dragon/Grass Boogaloo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, I originally planned to write a chapter or two for Milo and every other guy in the game but I just don’t have the time. However, I already wrote this sequel to Raihan’s chapter so I thought I might as well post it! 
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> (ALSO I highly recommend reading the first Raihan chapter before this one!)

So, Raihan wasn’t going to pretend that he wasn’t popular. He started taking so many selfies to remind himself of the moments after he lost battles and stay optimistic. But his fans ate them up, and now Raihan posted selfies regularly for fun. He was widely regarded as the handsomest Gym Leader, and he knew it. Not that Raihan wanted it to go to his head, but all the thirsty comments on his selfies were hard to ignore. Still, Raihan liked to imagine that he had game, and that he could get a date if he wanted to. 

So that made this little  _ thing _ he had with Milo all the more interesting. For nearly a whole year, he genuinely couldn’t tell if Milo was interested in him. 

The guy was nice to everyone, even Piers, who Raihan knew for a fact intimidated Milo. And maybe he was just imagining things, but Raihan thought that Milo was especially nice to him. 

One day, when they had a meeting, Milo brought in home-made pie to share with everyone. Raihan mentioned off-handedly that he was more a fan of Sitrus berry pies, and the next meeting, that was what Milo brought. Raihan once mentioned his stadium’s private training area being renovated, and Milo offered to help move equipment. (Raihan  _ did _ take up Farmer Market’s offer on that, and had the pleasure of seeing Milo move heavy machinery on his own.) But Milo very rarely ever refused someone who asked for help, and to be honest… he was a little dense. 

Well, maybe  _ dense _ wasn’t the right word. Naive, maybe. Or just kind to a fault. 

Raihan could toss an arm over Milo’s shoulder, and he’d take it in stride. He could wrap an arm around Milo’s waist, and the other wouldn’t mind at all. Milo once mentioned having siblings that climbed all over him, so maybe he was used to physical affection. 

Before the next League season started, Raihan decided to press his luck. 

“Hey, Farmer’s Market!” He said. 

They were all sitting around in Motostoke’s stadium locker room, getting ready for their practice battles. Milo was standing in front of Nessa and Bea, and Raihan came up from behind him. He looped his arms around Milo’s chest and squeezed. 

It was just a friendly hug. Just a companionable, manly hug that pressed Milo’s back to Raihan’s chest, allowing him to rest his chin on Milo’s shoulder. But the best part?   
  
He got to squeeze those organic, farm-grown jugs.

Milo let out a sound, face growing red. “Raihan! Don’t- I’m ticklish!”

Raihan laughed, but held on. He didn’t miss the way Bea rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out in disgust, or the way Nessa’s eyes widened. 

He said, “So, I’ve been thinking. With Allister and Melony being rotated into the roster this year, you know what that means?”   
  
“Huh?”   
  
Raihan grinned. “Means you and I will probably have to face off at some point.”

The League exhibition matches and final tournament were all strategically planned. Early on, no one could fight someone they had a type advantage or disadvantage against. So Milo couldn’t battle Nessa, Melony, or Kabu until the later stages of the tournament. And that left Allister, Opal, Piers, and Raihan as his most likely opponents.

Raihan himself couldn’t battle Opal or Melony, so chances were, Milo and him were going to get matched at some point.

Milo went still in his arms. 

Raihan laughed. “What’s the matter, Farmer’s Market? I know you can be a tough trainer when you want to! Show me that on the field, yeah?”   


“Uh, yeah… sure, Raihan.”

Milo tugged at the hem of his scarf, ducking his way out of Raihan’s hold. Raihan let him leave, hearing Milo murmur some excuse to hurry out of the room. As soon as he was out of earshot, Raihan had to duck to avoid Bea’s roundhouse kick.

“The  _ fuck _ was that, Raihan?” She asked. 

“What? ‘M just being friendly!” He said. 

Nessa looked like she was two seconds from sicking her Drednaw on him. She shot Raihan an irritated glare before leaving the room as well.

He watched her leave, finally noticing that everyone else was staring at him. Raihan was unfazed by all the eyes on him. He stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets. “What?” 

One by one, everyone else either averted their gaze or went back to their conversations. Raihan pulled out his phone, taking a selfie for his Pokegram account. He smiled, sharp toothed and cocky.

_ Just made my move on a certain someone, can’t wait to see where this goes! _

* * *

Milo found a bathroom far away from the Leader’s waiting room. It was in a hallway mostly full of maintenance and supply rooms, empty except for him.

He leaned against the sink, splashing cold water on his face. 

_ “-lo? Milo?” _   
  
Nessa’s muffled voice came from down the hall. Milo dried off his face and left the bathroom. “Ness?”

“Milo!” She said, hurrying toward him.

“Hey, Nessa.” He said. He hoped his face still wasn’t red. 

“Are you alright?” She asked. 

Milo smiled. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

Nessa raised a brow. “Because Raihan groped you in front of everyone.”

Nevermind. Milo’s face was most certainly red again.

He tugged at the brim of his hat. “He was just being himself.” 

“He was overstepping his bounds. Or, more specifically,  _ your _ boundaries.” She said, pointing a finger to Milo’s chest. 

Milo cleared his throat. “I- this is Raihan, Ness. He was just being friendly.”

Nessa groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Alright, Milo. Let me ask you this, then. Is Raihan ever “ _ friendly” _ with anyone else? Anyone at all?”   
  
Milo swallowed dryly. “Leon… maybe.”

But he darn well knew the answer. He might not be the sharpest guy, but he noticed by now all the interesting ways Raihan treated him. Lots of touches, lots of hugs. Lots of sharp-toothed smirks and the occasional (i.e. frequent) staring at Milo’s chest. 

“Please, Milo. For my sake as well as your own, can you please finally accept the fact that Raihan desperately wants to bang you.”

Milo let out startled sound, burying his face in his scarf. “He  _ doesn’t, _ though! He’s into Leon!”   
  
Nessa raised a brow at him and crossed her arms over her chest. “You know this for sure?”

“Well… you know…” Milo started, “Raihan’s whole thing is beating Leon! They’re rivals and all that.”   
  
“We’re rivals, though. Doesn’t mean I’m thirsty for your tits.”

_ “Ness!” _

Milo sighed. For a year, he hadn’t been able to convince Nessa that Raihan wasn’t interested in him. And for a year, Nessa had failed to make Milo believe that Raihan wanted to date him. Besides the debate over whether or not they were truly rivals, this was their second-most ongoing argument.

The overhead speaker crackled to life. _ “Leader Nessa, you are needed on the pitch.” _

Nessa sighed. “Come on, then. Let’s get back to the others.”

The two of them started walking down the long halls back to the waiting room. Milo fiddled absentmindedly with his scarf.

“Nessa?”   
  
“Yeah?”   
  
“You remember that day you told me I’d find someone perfect for me? Someone who’d definitely be interested in me?”   
  
“Yeah, and I still believe it.”   
  
Milo kept his eyes fixed ahead of him. “You really think it’s Raihan?”   
  
Nessa look at him. “I don’t think I said you’d find someone _ perfect, _ and Raihan is far from it. But yeah, I do really think he’s into you.”

Milo hummed to himself. 

If Nessa was right, then maybe this was Milo’s own fault. He didn’t have the heart to discourage Raihan’s touches or his requests to take photos together. They were friends, and Milo always wanted to make his friends happy! But maybe he was giving the illusion that there was more chemistry to them than there was. Maybe that was what Nessa saw.

Because no matter what she said, Milo just knew she couldn’t be right. Raihan was too good at battling, too passionate. He was just too  _ much _ in general. 

Milo liked battling, surely, but he and Raihan were on completely different playing fields. And he knew all about Raihan’s thing for Leon. The whole region did. Raihan was always one of the first to post about a tour, a photo shoot, an interview, or anything else related to Leon. He did a better job staying on top of the Champion’s ongoings than Leon’s own PR team. Those two, despite being rivals, were much closer than Raihan was to Milo. And he was okay with that. Milo just had to keep telling himself that over and over, so that he wouldn’t be disappointed in the end.

He and Nessa eventually had to part ways, but he watched as she headed onto the pitch for her match against Allister.

“Good luck!” He called to her. 

Nessa was almost to the field, but she turned back and smiled. “Thanks, Milo, but I won’t need it.”   
  
Then she was gone. Milo hurried back to the waiting room to watch her match on the telly with the others. Over the past year, he’d developed the acute ability to always be aware of where Raihan was in relation to him. Too many surprise hugs or touches trained Milo to be aware of the other. 

He could feel eyes on the back of his neck, but he couldn’t muster the bravery to turn around. He took a seat on one of the metal benches in front of the screen. Milo heard footsteps approaching him. 

Kabu and Bea immediately sat down on either side of him. Odd. Milo could’ve sworn they were standing on the other side of the room. 

He heard those footsteps fade slightly, but he soon became too immersed in watching Nessa’s match to care.

* * *

Okay. Okay, okay, okay. 

Raihan wasn’t dense enough to not see it when he made a mistake. Being a Gym Leader meant occasionally losing, and he had to accept his faults or blunders. (Especially his blunders.) He realized that, maybe, he went a smidge too far when Kabu assaulted him with a hefty lecture on boundaries and proper League etiquette.

But it wasn’t all his fault! Milo still wasn’t seeing the point!

Sure, by now Raihan could give up and flat out ask Milo out to dinner (or to bed), but where was the flare in that? The thrill? 

Actions spoke louder than words, and most so in Raihan’s case. If he wasn’t interested in Raihan, then Milo could just say so! Or he could start rejecting Raihan’s touches. He’d back off for sure then, but nothing like that had happened yet. To Raihan, he still had a chance at wooing Farmer’s Market. 

From now on, he just had to think of a different approach.

Unfortunately, even that had to wait. After Nessa and Allister’s battle, Raihan was up against Leon to prep for their exhibition match. This was supposed to be a private, low-stakes battle, but Raihan wouldn’t be going easy on his rival whatsoever. Besides, there wasn’t any privacy to it when even one other person was watching. And as Raihan walked out onto the pitch, he knew there was a room full of Gym Leaders waiting for him and Leon to face off, Farmer’s Market included. 

Raihan smiled. He loved it when he had an audience to entertain.

He and Leon met each other in the center of the arena. 

“Hey, Leon.” He said, flashing Leon a grin. Without the stands packed full of spectators, Raihan didn’t feel the need to go all out with his introduction. “You ready to lose?”

Leon threw his head back and laughed. He smirked at Raihan, that familiar fire burning in his eyes, “Shouldn’t I be asking  _ you _ that?”

Raihan’s smile widened. He winked at Leon, “Not this time.”

And just like that, they got back into that familiar pattern of battling. They probably knew each other’s fighting styles too well at this point, but the crowds always ate up their battles. No one had challenged Leon as much as Raihan had, and no one had come as close to defeating him as Raihan. And there was something comforting in battling Leon, even if Raihan lost. It was like meeting an old friend all over again, but with sky-scraper sized Pokemon duking it out.

It was almost relaxing.

* * *

Milo watched as Leon’s Charizard knocked out the last of Raihan’s Pokemon. No one truly expected Leon to lose, but it was still a thrilling battle nonetheless. However, he just couldn’t shake something off. It was the way Raihan and Leon spoke at the beginning of the match. There weren’t any Rotoms in the arena that caught what they said to each other, but there was something different about them. 

Raihan and Leon usually saved their dramatic entrances and banter for when the season started. Without that high-stakes thrill, it looked like they were just close friends talking to each other. Raihan made Leon laugh, even.

They looked at each other with the knowledge that they’d been close for years now. Rivals, friends, probably more. It was proof that Nessa was wrong.

Even more proof came when Nessa texted him. Milo was already alone in his hotel room by then. More rounds of practice battling were planned for tomorrow, and he was expected to rest up. But Nessa sent him a screenshot from Raihan’s Pokegram account. It was a typical selfie showing off his fanged smiled. But it was the caption that caught Milo’s attention. 

_ Just made my move on a certain someone, can’t wait to see where this goes! _

The date was from today. 

**_Nessa_ ** _ : You were saying? _

But Milo didn’t respond immediately. He just stared at the screenshot, rereading the caption over and over again. 

**_Milo_ ** _ : He’s clearly talking about Leon. There’s no one else it could be _

And then, because Milo was a coward, he tossed his phone onto his bed and rushed into the bathroom to take a long, hot shower. 

No one knew what Raihan said to Leon on the field. It could have been anything. 

As Milop closed his eyes and let the water run over him, he couldn’t get the image of Raihan’s selfie out of his mind. That confident, self-assured smile. Those bright eyes and determined demeanor. They couldn’t be for anyone other than Leon. Milo just had to keep reminding himself of that.

* * *

The next day was full of more mock battles and training with their pokemon. Raihan almost envied Milo, Nessa, and Kabu. Being the first three Gym Leaders meant that they didn’t have to train for as long before their teams were up to regulation standards. Not that Raihan disliked training his Pokemon, of course! 

He just had bigger things on his mind. 

First, a friendly chat with Leon. “Man, I could use a drink after today.”

Leon laughed, “Same. Want to try that new bar in town?”

Raihan accepted. 

Next came Gordie. Even though he was being rotated out of the League roster this year, Rose still expected him to keep his Pokemon in shape. “Hey, mate. You look like you could use a drink.”

Gordie sighed, lowered his shades to wipe his forehead. “Yeah, I have this headache that just won’t go away.” 

Meanwhile, his mom was waving at him from across the arena and making her way toward them. Raihan strategically chose to leave the mother and son to themselves at that point. 

Kabu and Piers were tougher nuts to crack. Kabu insisted he’d rather spend the night resting, while Piers flat out refused.    
  
“But you’d be strengthening your bond with your fellow Gym Leaders! And you’d be upholding the companionship the League emphasizes. Isn’t that important, too?”   
  
And he got Kabu. 

“Hey, look at it this way, you’re gonna get cheap booze. I’ll even buy you a drink.” 

_ And _ … there went Piers. 

At the end of the day, Raihan caught up to Milo and Nessa as they exited the stadium. 

“Hey, Farmer’s Market!” 

Milo turned around, slowing down enough for Raihan to catch up to them. Raihan wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “The guys and I are going into town to get some drinks tonight. You interested in coming?”   
  
Milo blinked, glancing over to Nessa then back to Raihan. He reached up and nudged Raihan’s arm off his shoulders. “Sorry, but I already told Nessa I’d have a movie night with her at the hotel.”

“Huh?”   
  
It wasn’t Milo refusing that caught Raihan off guard. It was the fact that he didn’t want Raihan touching him.

Milo rubbed the back of his neck and laughed softly. “Yeah, sorry. Maybe I’ll go next time.”

Raihan blinked. “Right… next time. No problem.”   
  
He watched as Milo and Nessa took the lift down from the stadium to Motostoke. He heard footsteps coming up from behind him.

“So is Milo not coming?” Gordie asked. 

Raihan shrugged, pulling out his phone and hoping he didn’t look as bothered as he was. “Yeah, said he had other plans.”

He and the rest of the guys headed back to their hotel together, showering and getting ready to go out. The bar Leon suggested was a lot nicer than Raihan was expecting. Raihan couldn’t resist taking a selfie when they got inside. Even without Milo there, Raihan was still expecting a good time. 

The five of them sat around a circular booth, chatting about their plans for the next season. It didn’t take long before Leon (the lightest lightweight in the world) started leaning his head on Raihan’s shoulder. 

“There a reason you’re using me as a pillow, mate?”   
  
“Cause your shoulder is softer than Kabu’s.”

Still, Leon didn’t stop leaning against Raihan. And honestly, he didn’t really mind it. They were like brothers at this point. 

Gordie grinned from across the table. “Oh, but we all know who you’d rather have leaning on you. Right, Raihan?”

He stared at Gordie over the top of his mug, an eyebrow raised.

Piers nodded and said, “You must’ve really been wanting these drinks since you’ve been so thirsty lately.”   
  
Leon let out a sharp laugh, making Raihan almost spill his beer. 

“Hey!” He said, shrugging Leon off of him. 

“What?” Leon asked, “Sad ‘cause I’m not Milo?”   
  
Raihan pouted. “You just lost your pillow privileges, Leon.”   
  
“That’s alright, I got another right here,” he said, patting Kabu’s shoulder. The other coughed into his fist.

“Milo is an amiable young man, he would certainly understand if you confronted him directly.” Kabu said, always to the point. 

Raihan grumbled into his drink, pulling out his phone. He didn’t invite everyone out to drinks just to get roasted. The conversation eventually shifted to a new topic, with Raihan just barely paying attention. He thumbed through his Pokegram account, noticing a notification. Nessa had updated her account, showing off a photo of her in her hotel room, silk pajamas and a pale green face mask on. In the background, however, was Milo in sweatpants and a plain t-shirt. He was looking at the camera, a little blurrier than Nessa, but was also smiling. 

The caption simply read:  _ Movie night  _

_ “Oooo,” _ Leon cooed like a little kid, “Everyone, look at what Raihan’s looking at.”   
  
He tried grabbing Raihan’s phone, but thankfully Rotom levitated out of his grasp. But Raihan’s screen was also visible for a second.

“Was that Pokegram?” Gordie asked. He immediately pulled out his own phone. And damn, Raihan forgot that Gordie was almost his equal when it came to his social media presence. 

“Was this it?” He asked, showing the table Nessa’s account. 

“Ey!” Leon said, “Raihan’s especially thirsty tonight!”   
  
“Shut it, Leon.” Raihan said, shoving Leon off of him. He picked up his beer and chugged the last of it. 

The night was definitely not going how he had planned.

* * *

The start to the League’s newest season left all the Leader’s hands full. Milo, Nessa, and Kabu were especially busy dealing with the waves of new challengers. Milo now consistently declined Raihan’s offers to grab lunch or drinks. Although, based on Nessa’s Pokegram account, he was still meeting up with her and a few others.

Raihan could physically feel Milo drifting away. He was still nice, and was never once rude or cold to Raihan, but he could still feel it. Maybe he waited too long, or pushed too hard. Maybe the others were right, and Raihan should’ve flat out asked Milo out before now. 

But it was too late. The crowd of challengers always thinned out by the time they reached Raihan, but he still had a lot of planning to do. 

The days passed, new challengers growing in fame and popularity. This was an interesting year for sure, since both Leon and Piers endorsed challengers. All three kids showed promise, and all three of them managed to reach the final tournament. But the dark Rapidash out of all of them, the one Raihan knew the least about, was Hop’s friend.  _ That _ kid showed some major talent.

Speaking of which, it was almost time for the first round of matches to be announced. Raihan was at home, watching on his phone along with the rest of the region as Rose got up to the press podium. 

“It is with great pleasure that I announce the starting battles to our final Championship Tournament!”   
  
Behind him, the screen lit up with the battles. Raihan paused the feed, scanning for his name. 

_ Raihan / Milo _

His eyes widened. He grinned. 

So no exhibition match for them, but Raihan would be seeing Farmer’s Market after all. He got up, pulling his jacket on, planning for a late-night training round at the stadium’s gym. Raihan was proud of team, although he had tailored it somewhat more for facing Leon than anyone else. Still, he was going to give Milo a match he wouldn’t forget. It was going to be something spectacular, something that would have to impress him. 

* * *

“My first match is against Raihan of all people? What rotten luck…” Milo said, mindful to keep his voice low.

Melony patted his shoulder. Milo wished Nessa was there, but she was getting ready for her own match. 

All the Gym Leaders were in the same waiting room in Wyndon. Although for certain matches, some of them would have to leave to go to the other waiting room on the other side of the stadium. Milo tugged at the hem of his scarf. “But even if he changes the weather around, I don’t plan on throwing in the towel so easily.”

Melony smiled at him. “That’s the spirit, dear!”   
  
Milo exhaled and tried to smile. He had this.

Grass Pokemon were especially susceptible to weather changes, but ever since the last season ended, Milo had been planning for this. Well, not to battle Raihan specifically, but he started experimenting with battling styles and Pokemon he’d never used before. Hopefully, it’d be enough of an edge to at least give Raihan a tough time.

He watched from the waiting room as the battles started. Nessa lost to Galar’s rising star (but at least she went down fighting). Allister won against Melony. And Kabu just started his match with Piers. 

“Milo, you’re needed in the other waiting room.” An attendant said. 

He nodded, getting up and following them out of the room. 

“Wait, Milo!”   
  
He paused, turning back. Most of the Leaders who came back from their battles were exhausted, or busy tending to their Pokemon before their next match. But Raihan was smiling as bright as ever. 

“I hope you remembered what I told you, Farmer’s Market. You better not go easy on me.” He said, eyes sharp and smile sharper. 

Milo stared, speechless. He only nodded and hurried out of the room. What was that about?    
  
It was either some weird taunt, or Raihan genuinely saw Milo was a real competitor. Milo reached down, patting the Pokeballs at his side as he took a breath. He had this. 

The attendant lead him to the other side of the stadium, and this time the waiting room was empty. Milo turned on the telly, watching Kabu and Piers’ match while pacing the room. He hated being alone, at least in the other room he had his friends to support him. Now, he was all alone with his thoughts. 

Milo felt a rumble go through the stadium, and heard a roaring sound coming from the field. His eyes widened at the sight of Piers’ Pokemon knocking out Kabu’s Gigatamaxed Centiskorch.

That was right… he couldn’t worry just about this match with Raihan. There was still a chance that Milo could beat him, and then he’d have someone else to battle next. Milo took a deep breath, reaching down and pulling one of his Pokeballs off his belt. It was his only Net Ball, and maybe it’d clue Raihan in on his plan, but that was fine. Milo could still do this. Just like Raihan said, he wasn’t going to give up without a fight.

So after the field was cleaned up, it was time for him to walk out into the arena. 

From the other side of the stadium, Milo could already see Raihan smiling. 

“Hey, Farmer’s Market.” He said, when they met in the middle.

Milo almost smiled. “You know, you never did tell me why you call me that.”   
  
Raihan laughed. “I haven’t? Well, meet me after our match and I’ll tell you why.”

Milo almost turned around to start walking away.    


“But Milo?”   
  
“Yeah?”   
  
Raihan’s stare hardened, although his eyes didn’t lose their fire. “Sorry about this, but I’m still planning on seeing Leon later tonight.”

Milo blinked. “O-oh.”

Then the two of them were turning around and walking away. Milo looked down at his feet. What did Raihan mean by that? He was saying all these strange things lately. 

At least it was clear who Raihan was most looking forward to battling. 

Milo turned around, seeing Raihan on the other side of the field. He moved entirely based off of muscle memory, grabbing his pokemon and sending them out. 

And all too soon, their battle began.

* * *

Right out the gate, Milo sent out a Tsareena. Ouch. Raihan almost felt bad sending out his Torkoal. The whole stadium raised several degrees as his Torkoal’s ability caused sunlight to shine down on the field. 

Immediately, Milo’s Tsareena used U-Turn, hitting Torkoal fast and retreating to Milo. Raihan raised a brow. Farmer’s Market couldn’t be getting scared already, right?   
  
No, that wasn’t it. Even at a distance, he could see the determined look on Milo’s face. He grabbed another Pokeball on his belt, and sent out a Ludicolo. Raihan stared wide-eyed as it used Rain Dance, sending rain down onto the stadium. 

It knocked out Torkoal with a blast of water, and Raihan almost fumbled when reaching for his next Pokemon. So was this Milo’s game? Trying to change the weather at every turn? Well, he could play too. 

He sent out his Goodra, since Milo so kindly set up the rain Raihan needed anyways. Raihan was about to try going on the offensive again when Milo returned his Ludicolo and sent out a fucking Abomasnow. It roared as it entered the battlefield, stopping the rain and making it hail with its ability. It got hit by Goodra’s Thunder and tanked it.

“What the hell, Farmer’s Market?” Raihan muttered to himself. 

_ “What on Earth is happening here?”  _ The Commentator asked, voice booming over the arena,  _ “Has Milo stolen Raihan’s thunder, or is this a true battle of the weather conditions?” _   
  
In the span of only a few minutes, the arena went from hot to wet to freezing cold, with rain and snow clinging to Raihan’s jacket. This wasn’t anything like Milo’s team from last year. That one was made for a fun battle, this one felt like it was designed to actually win. 

And dear Arceus, did Raihan  _ love _ it. 

Raihan’s team was built to hit hard and fast, bolstered by specific weather conditions. Milo’s, although drastically different from last year, was still designed for endurance. It seemed like he was planning more on whittling down Raihan’s team over time. 

First, a Roserade with Toxic Spikes. But Raihan managed to knock it out. Then the Ludicolo returned to send rain down on Raihan’s Turtonator. But Raihan still managed to knock out that Pokemon as well. 

“I knew you could do it, Milo! I knew you could keep me on my toes!” He had to shout to be heard over the stormy weather. But a fog was starting to settle over the arena from how often the conditions were changing, and he couldn’t see Milo very clearly anymore. 

They went like that, back and forth, fighting for control over the weather as much as they were with each other. By the time Raihan was ready to send out his Duraludon, he had been soaked with rain water, warmed by sunlight, battered by hail, and roughed up by a sandstorm. But his heart was still hammering in his chest, the thrill of not knowing what Milo would do next sending adrenaline through his veins. 

His Gigatamaxed Pokemon cut through the foggy, stormy weather and roared, it’s silhouette unmistakable. On the other side of the arena, Raihan could see the glow of a dynamaxed Pokeball. 

His eyes widened as another massive silhouette dominated Milo’s side of the arena. It was a Dynamaxed Flapple. Part dragon, part grass type. Raihan let out a shout, his smile so wide it almost hurt. 

_ Fuck _ yeah. 

And when the smoke and fog and the remnants of their weather conditions faded, when the winner and loser had been determined, Raihan met Milo in the middle of the stadium. Raihan flashed him a smile, holding his hand out. 

“GG.” He said. 

Milo managed a weak smile in return, accepting Raihan’s handshake. “I can see why you like weather conditions so much, they’re a ton of fun to use.”

Milo’s smile faded a tiny bit, and that was all the warning Raihan got before he was being squeezed by those thicc, buff arms and lifted off the ground. 

_ “Aw, what an incredible show of sportsmanship by Milo! The fighting farmer certainly knows how to take a loss!” _

The crowd went wild as Milo set Raihan down. 

“Thanks for the match,” He said before hurrying toward his side of the stadium. 

It took Raihan half a second to remember that he also needed to leave. 

* * *

Milo let out a breath, one that felt like he’d been holding since the moment he stepped onto the pitch. He was alone in his waiting room again, but this time, he was thankful for it.

He asked the attendants for a little privacy, and they obliged. So Milo was fully alone when he pulled out his phone and called home. Mum answered on the first ring. 

_ “Milo! That was absolutely amazing!”  _ She said. _   
_   
And it was hard not to smile when hearing that. 

“Thanks, Mum.”   
  
Milo could hear footsteps on the other end, and all his siblings’ voices at once.

_ “You gave Raihan such a tough time! We knew you could do it!” _ _   
_ _   
_ _ “When were you going to tell us you had a team like  _ that _ with you?” _

All their voices descended into a babbling mess that Milo could barely make out. He laughed softly, tugging his wet, dirty scarf off as he did so. 

“So Mum, would you mind if I tossed my uniform in the wash tonight? I’m a mess right now.”   
_   
_ _ “Of course, Milo. I- wait, did you say tonight? Aren’t you staying for the closing ceremony tomorrow?” _   
  
Milo sat down on one of the metal benches, elbows braced against his knees. “I was going to, but I think I want to be home right now. I’m just really tired. Chairman Rose will understand, though. Besides, Piers always leaves early, too.”

“Well, alright. If that’s what you want.” Mum said, “But did you at least have fun? We couldn’t see you very well with the storm in the stadium.”   
  
Milo chuckled softly. “Yes, Mum. I had fun.”   
  
_ “Good, then! We’ll see you tonight. Bye, Milo!” _

He got a chorus of goodbyes from his other siblings before hanging up. 

Someone knocked on the waiting room door. Milo looked up at the screen, but the field was still being cleaned up. It wasn’t time for the next match yet.    
  
“Come in!” He called. 

And Nessa appeared. She had changed out of her uniform and into her casual clothes. 

“Hey!” She said. “Your match was incredible! You have to battle me with that team sometime. But we were all watching it in the other waiting room, and you wouldn’t believe how hard everyone gasped when you knocked out Raihan’s Flygon.”   
  
Milo smiled, taking his battered hat off and combing his fingers through his wet hair. “Thanks, Ness. I really gave it my all.”   
  
Nessa’s smile faded. She walked over to Milo and sat down next to him. “What’s wrong?”

“What? Nothing’s wrong. I’m just tired, I suppose.”   
  
“Milo.” Nessa said, crossing her arms over her chest. “You don’t get this upset over losses. What happened?”   
  
She really knew him too well. Milo leaned back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling. 

“I was right.” He said.

“About?”   
  
Milo twisted his scarf in his hands. “Raihan. He isn’t interested in me after all.”   
  
“Why? Did he say something?”   


Milo swallowed, and nodded. “It wasn’t what he said, but how he said it. Ness, I’m just another trainer to him.”

But this whole time, that was what Milo was trying to say. He knew Raihan didn’t like him as anything other than a friend. He knew it, so why did he still feel this way?   
  
“Oh, Milo.” Nessa said. She urged him closer until she could pull him into a hug. 

“It’s going to be alright.” She said.

“Yeah, Ness, I know.”

* * *

This could’ve been the grand moment Raihan had always been envisioning. The moment where he swept Milo off his feet and finally made his feelings clear in a grand declaration of love. But how could he, after what he heard?   
  
Raihan trusted his gut that something was off about Milo. So instead of soaking up the praise from the others, he left and went to the waiting room on the other side of the stadium. Raihan saw Nessa heading into the waiting room, although she didn’t see him. He cracked the door open, but paused when he heard Nessa’s voice. 

“What’s wrong?” _   
_ _   
_ And Raihan froze. He probably shouldn’t have been eavesdropping, but it was like he couldn't move. 

“I was right.” 

“About?”   
  
“Raihan. He isn’t interested in me after all.”   
  
A shock went through Raihan. He listened to the rest of Milo and Nessa’s conversation, knowing that none of it was true! Milo wasn’t just some competitor. He was amazing and friendly and gentle and charming, and Raihan had been trying to show how much he cared for a year now! 

But… did this mean that Milo, at some point, had returned Raihan’s feelings? 

All this time, Raihan’s gut was right. Milo  _ was _ into him. And he could change everything, he could make Milo happy and confess at that very moment if he could just force himself to move. 

But even if this conversation was about him, Raihan knew it didn’t necessarily mean he was invited to join.

Instead, he let the door close slowly. Silently. 

Raihan gathered all his thoughts and, instead of barging in with a triumphant smile on his face, he knocked. 

The conversation inside the room died down. Raihan could hear footsteps, then the door opened to reveal Nessa.    
  
“Oh, Raihan. What’re you doing here?”    
  
Raihan ignored the little sound Milo made. He rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Is Milo here? I’ve been looking for him.”   
  
“Yeah, he is.” 

Nessa leaned against the doorframe. “What do you need?”   
  
“Well, I, uh… I promised I was going to tell him something. Before our match, that is. I said I was going to talk to him.”

“Right…”    
  
“Ness, just let him in.” Milo said.    
  
Nessa glanced over her shoulder, then back to Raihan. She sighed and pushed herself off the doorframe, letting him in. 

“Thanks.” He said. Nessa didn’t say anything in return. 

Raihan saw the redness around Milo’s eyes. Still, Farmer’s Market tried to smile. “Hey, Raihan. You needed something?”

“Yeah, remember what I told you before the start of our match?”   
  
Milo frowned. “About Leon?”   
  
“No, the uh, the other thing.” He couldn’t believe he was really going to ride out this excuse just to see Milo, especially in front of Nessa. “About… about why I call you Farmer’s Market?”   
  
He trailed off, but Milo blinked with recognition. “Right…”

Milo glanced around, then patted the space on the bench next to him. 

“Milo-” Nessa started.

“It’s fine, Ness. Just, can you please give us a minute?”   
  
Truth be told, leaving looked like the last thing Nessa wanted to do. Still, she sighed and headed for the door. Once it swung closed behind her, Raihan realized how awkward the situation was. At least he could keep himself in check with Nessa around.    
  
“So…” Milo started.

Raihan sighed, tugging off his headband and letting his dreadlocks fall around his face. He pushed them back, sitting down and leaned against the wall behind them. 

“You know, I’ve always admired your uh, assets.”   
  
Good Arceus, this was so much more awkward than he could’ve imagined. 

“Uh-huh.” 

“And, your um… ample…”

Raihan stared at Milo, who was still taking this completely seriously. And he just cracked.

“Oh, for fucks sake, I call you Farmer’s Market because you’ve always got your goods on display. There, that’s the joke.”

Raihan buried his face in his dirty headband, ignoring the squeaking sound that came out of Milo.

“I- you mean my tits?”   
  
Oh lord, it was so much worse hearing Milo talking about his own chest. How could Raihan do this to him?

The silence stretched between them, heavy and awkward. 

“You know, you aren’t the first one to tell me I have a big chest.”

Raihan risked a glance over at Milo, who was starting to grin despite the redness still lingering in his eyes. “Ness makes fun of me all the time. Just not in front of others.”

“Oh.” 

So it wasn’t just Raihan, then.

“So, is there a reason you chose now to tell me? I mean, I know I asked before our match, but-”   
  
“I like you.”   
  
Milo faltered, mouth opening and closing without any words coming out.

“O-oh. I like you too. As a friend, right?”   
  
Raihan shook his head. “I heard what you were talking about before I came in. I like you, Milo. I really,  _ really _ fucking like you because you’re the biggest softie I’ve ever met but still an amazing trainer.”

He slapped his headband against his knee. “And I’m sorry I never told you outright, I guess I just never felt like it was the right time. But I never meant for you to think that I wasn’t interested in you.”   
  
“Oh.”

Raihan forced himself to meet Milo’s gaze. “But I’d totally understand if you don’t feel the same. Especially after some of the stuff I’ve said.”

But Milo only stared at him. 

And he kept staring.

And kept staring.

Then he burst out laughing. 

“H-Hey!” Raihan said, face burning. He just confessed his whole heart! What was Milo laughing about?

“Sorry… it’s just… I owe Nessa so much money now.” He said. 

“Huh?”   
  
Milo shook his head. “She bet me that you really did like me. And that, you know, you’d tell me eventually.”

His smile was softer now, but brighter than it was before. “I guess I just didn’t want to get my hopes up.”   
  
Raihan frowned. “What do you mean?”   
  
Milo gestured vaguely to Raihan. “You’re incredible. You’re the second best trainer in the whole region! You’re popular and strong and brave, and I just didn’t want to risk feeling things that might’ve not been returned.”

He laughed again. “But I guess I’m the dumb one, huh?”

“You aren’t dumb.” Raihan said immediately. “You came up with an amazing strategy that kept me on my guard the whole time. I nearly went on the defensive a few times, just from how well you were doing.”

Milo’s face turned as pink as his hair. “You don’ mean that.”

“I do. In fact-” 

Raihan pulled out his phone, and Rotom hovered in the air. Raihan pulled Milo in close for a selfie before the other could pull away. The camera flashed and Raihan took his phone.

“Raihan, what’re you doing?”   
  
But he didn’t respond immediately. When his post was made and sent, he looked up at Milo and grinned.

“Check your phone.”

He watched as Milo did so, tapping on Pokegram. It was the selfie accompanied by the caption:   
  
_ Don’t mind the mud! I couldn’t have asked for a better first battle this year, my heart was pounding the whole time! Raihan Nation, make some noise for Milo! _

Already, comments were pouring in from people sending long strings of green heart emojis. People were tagging Milo left and right, send him praise for his amazing strategy.

“There. Now all of Galar knows how I really feel. Is that enough proof for you?”   
  
“Rai…”

Milo wiped the tears from his eyes and pulled Raihan into a hug. He buried his face in Raihan’s hoodie, not caring if it was dirty, and laughed. Raihan returned the hug, resting his chin on Milo’s shoulder. 

And even though his clothes were still wet and cold, even though Raihan was still caked with drying mud, he could still feel the warmth from Milo’s body. He closed his eyes, inhaling slowly. And he smiled.

He definitely should’ve confessed sooner. 


End file.
